The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-09
TO SAVE LEGGETT'S LIFE.
THE CONDEMNED MANS COUNSEL
TO GO BEFORE THE GOVERNOR.

An Effort to Secure Communication of
the Death Sentence to imprisonment
for Life-The Story Of Leggett's Crime
- Lawyer Clifton's Efforts in the
Prisoners Behalf.
William Clifton, Esq, who has figured
quite prominently in the Leggett murder
case has just returned from Tatnall county,
where he had an interview with the con-
demned man. Leggett thanked his counsel
for the effort that he has made i'll his behalf,
and that his life was reprieved, even though
it was for month, and there was no hope
beyond that. He said to his jailer that he
is prepared now to meet his fate. Then he
was not.
Leggett's reprieve will expire next Thurs
day, and on Friday he will hang, unless
executive clemency intervenes to save him.
UNDER DEATH SENTENCE.
A strong effort is being made to secure a
communication of the death sentence to i'm
prisonment for life Mr.. Clifton will lay
the case before Gov Gordon in Il
day or two, and last night
he telegraphed the Governor that he
would be in Atlanta Saturday or Monday.
He expects to leave here, if possible, to-
morrow night so as to appear before the
Governor on Saturday and allow ample
enough time to look into the case.
ASKING A COMPUTATION.
He will place in the Governors hands
petition signed by the clerk Of the court
which convicted Leggett, the Sheriff OF
Tatnall county, the coroner and Jailer, and
upwards of 100 leading and influential citi
zens Of the county, asking that the prison
er's sentence be commuted to life imprison-
ment
The time between now and the day fixed
for the execution is short, and whatever is
done will have to be done promptly. Mr..
Clifton is determined in his effort to save
Leggett's life if it is within his power.
STORY OF THE CRIME
The story of Leggett's crime has never
yet been written. The girl whom he muir
dered was Lille Grigden. She and LeggetG
had lived together for over a year. The
girl finally left him and went to live with
another man because, she said, somebody
had bewitched her.
Leggett tried to persuade her toreturn to
him and followed her through the fields
begging and pleading for her to come back.
She positively refused but treated him
kindly and would not prosecute him when
urged TO do 50.
THE FATAL MEETING.
On Sunday, Feb. 81 the day the crime
was committed Leggett and some COM
panions We're on their way from Sunday
School talking about one thing and
another when the girl passed. In an
instant Leggett jumped toward her with a
knife in his hand and stabbed her five times
in the back and side, and then ran. His
companions chased him a short distance
into the woods, and, seeing that there was
no chance to escape, he gave himself up.
81 LOVED HER So"
When asked why he stabbed the girl he
said: II loved her so" The wounded woman
was removed to house near by, where
she had been living, and two
weeks later died I.eggett was
confined in Jail, and the night after the
woman died several prisoners broke cut.
Among them was Leggett. Instead of try
ing to escape he went straight to the house
where the dead woman lay and fell across
the bed upon which her corpse was placed,
uttering a jargor which nobody could
understand
He placed his hand upon her face and
brow, and after looking at her in
tently for some time started back to
the Jail His trial came on i'll March
He was convicted and sentenced to hang on
May h. The story of his reprieve is we'll
known. All the hope that the condemned
man now has is in his counsel's hands.